Action expected Monday on delayed teacher contract

MILLBURN -- Two months after reaching an agreement in principle, a contract between the school district and its teachers is still not signed. But spokespersons for both sides say action is expected before Thanksgiving.

The Millburn Education Association (MEA) and the Board of Education announced on Monday, Sept. 8, that their respective negotiating teams had signed a memorandum of agreement on a three-year salary contract for 2008-2011. Teachers are being paid under the terms of the previous contract, which expired in August, pending the adoption of a new contract and retroactive adjustments.

The upbeat statement released Sept. 8 announced: "The BOE and MEA teams bargained throughout the spring and summer in a spirit of cooperation and good faith. Both feel a fair agreement was struck."

But two months and four Board of Education meetings later, the salary package has not yet appeared on a BOE agenda for a vote. And until the contract is approved by both the teachers and the district, neither side will discuss details of the agreement.

"I expect approval... probably before Thanksgiving," Superintendent Richard L. Brodow said last week. The Board of Education has only one more meeting before the holiday; that meeting will be held at 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, at the Education Center.

The MEA membership reportedly has approved the contract. However MEA President Lois Infanger did not return messages during what was a short school week with school closed on Thursday and Friday.

On a related subject, the agenda for a closed meeting of the BOE held on Monday, Oct. 20, listed a number of personnel matters for discussion, including an amendment to the MEA contract to establish a special sick day bank for an ill teacher. Dr. Brodow said the sick day bank was not a benefit under the new contract, but could be attached as an amendment or an addendum.

In general, the definition of a sick day bank is when employees voluntarily give back their unused sick days in order to benefit a colleague, Dr. Brodow explained.

The same closed meeting of the BOE on Oct. 20 included discussion of an MEA grievance regarding health benefits. The superintendent said neither of these topics was responsible for delaying the contract's approval.

A contract agreement also has been reached between the school district and the Millburn Association of Supervisors and Administrators (MASA). "I expect the board to approve both, probably by Thanksgiving," Dr. Brodow said.